BLACK FILM FEST TO HONOR DIAHANN CARROLL

The San Diego Black Film Festival, one of the largest black film fests in the nation, kicked off its 11th year Thursday with opening-night festivities in the Gaslamp Quarter.

The festival, which continues through Sunday, features more than 100 films that showcase the African-American and African Diaspora experiences.

Thousands of filmmakers are expected to attend the four-day festival, which also attracts many celebrities.

Award-winning actress and singer Diahann Carroll — the first African-American woman to star in her own television series (“Julia,” 1968-71) — will be the guest of honor at Saturday’s awards gala, where she will receive the festival’s Millennium Award for Lifetime Achievement in Television & Motion Pictures.

In a statement, festival director Karen Willis said: “We’re honored to bestow our Millennium Award for Lifetime Achievement in Television & Motion Pictures on her because she’s a classic pioneering star. And when it comes to television and motion pictures, they don’t come much bigger than Diahann Carroll.”

In honor of Black History Month, the festival will present a special film series starting at 11 a.m. Saturday focusing on African-American stories.